Summary: After sneaking out of a meeting Huni meets an old friend in need of some kind words and a gentle touch.

Damn, Huni thought with a sigh, I've really got to stop doing this.

He looked miserably at the ice cream in his hand and took a bite from it, his expression immediately turning to one of bliss.

Never mind, this is much more fun than that boring old meeting, Huni grinned, he was going to get into trouble for going on another of his extra long 'bathroom breaks' but the cake and sweets he consumed during that time made up for it. It wasn't like anyone had the guts to complain to Mr. Kick-Ass Martial Arts.

He hummed and continued to lick his ice cream, he kind of missed being short because now he couldn't swing his legs on the park bench.

He gazed around the park at the young children playing in the park and then towards the playgroup on the other side of the park where parents were picking up their kids, he could see one of the employees from the dojo nodding as their child chatted loudly in their ear.

He saw another woman with her back to him, struggling to put her child in a pushchair.

'Come on honey, I know you don't like it but just sit still for a moment,' her voice sounded strained to breaking point, she stood up and raked her hands through her hair in frustration, the child merely wailed and flailed his arms around in indignation.

Huni felt a pang of sympathy for the woman; he devoured his ice cream in one last bite time hopped off the bench.

'Do you need some help, Miss? You seem upset,' he asked when he got close enough to her.

'No, no, I'm fine, just-,' she turned around and blinked in surprise, 'Huni-senpai?'

'Haru-chan!' Huni cried gleefully, giving her a hug.

'Geez you're taller than me now, what are you doing here?' Haruhi smiled at him, some of the tiredness from her face disappearing.

'I was at a meeting over there,' he waved off in the general direction without taking his eyes off her face, 'what are you doing here, I didn't even know you were back from America, we all assumed you were staying there.'

'I'm sorry for not contacting you guys,' Haruhi looked truly sorry, she gave a quick glance sideways, 'I was really busy.'

Huni followed her gaze, the small child was chewing on his tiny fingers, his eyelid drooping from tiredness, his pale brown hair was sticking up in all directions, 'is he your...'

'Son? Yes, he is,'

'So are you-,'

Haruhi cut him off again, 'married? I was going to be, I was going to contact you guys and tell you,' she twiddled with a ring on a chain around her neck and avoided his gaze. Her voice sounded chocked as if it was almost painful.

'Are you ok Haru-chan?' she shook her head, he bent down to look at her face and was panicked to see tears dripping down her face, she rubbed at them furiously but they just seemed to get worse. Huni steered her toward the bench where he had previously been sitting, somehow manoeuvring the pushchair at the same time.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't be getting all emotional,' Haruhi rubbed the tears from her eyes again, this time they reduced to a thin trickle.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Huni asked softly, trying to get the girl of steel to spill her secrets. He expected objections but Haruhi just turned her face to him and nodded, 'let's go somewhere more comfy and quiet, he looks sleepy.'

'He's called Rai,' she told him softly as she allowed herself to be lead to a car, Huni glanced at the office building then back at the two people in the car, Haruhi was staring at her hands absently, occasionally plucking at the hem of her work skirt.

I think I know who is more important here.

He got into the car, feeling slightly free without the hassle of a chauffeur, he allowed Haruhi to sit silently in the back, thinking, only the occasional sniff to show her presence.

Haruhi tried to think of a way to explain the past five years of her life since she had graduated and left the host club behind. She was so deep in her thoughts the next time she looked up she was sitting in a warm apartment with a warm cup of tea, Huni was a few paces away with Rai, placing the sleeping baby safely on a sofa surrounded by pillows and a familiar stuffed rabbit.

He looked up and met her gaze, 'do you want to talk now you fill a little better?' he sat opposite her on a cushion identical to hers. Haruhi waited until he had sat down and nodded, sipping from the tea in her hands then sighed and started to tell him her story.

'After I graduated you already know I went to the States to study and when I was there I met Arai of all people, we were both studying in the same university and because we were the one of the few Japanese people we grew closer and eventually,' he hands went to play with the ring around her neck again, Huni listened silently, 'he asked me to marry him and I said yes,' she smiled for a moment before her expression started to crumple again.

'Did he hurt you Haru-chan?' Huni leant forward placing his hands supportively on her shoulders. Haruhi shook her head.

'He never did anything to hurt me, he's the one who got hurt,' she looked up at him with watery eyes, trying her best to be brave, 'exactly two years ago I watched him get hit by a car, the impact killed him instantly and I had done nothing to stop it.'

Huni moved to hug her, 'Haru-chan,' he whispered gently, 'you couldn't do anything, he wouldn't want you hurt. You were pregnant weren't you?'

She leant into his shoulder, her warm breath falling on his neck as she nodded, 'I didn't know until after though my dad worked it out, Arai never even knew he was going to be a father and Rai is never going to have a father. I came back to Japan to visit my father then stayed when I found out I was pregnant and got a job. My dad used to look after Rai for me then two months ago he had an aneurysm in his brain and he just... I should have noticed, he complained about headaches but I dismissed them. Everybody's disappearing,'

'It's not your fault Haru-chan, not everybody's disappearing, I reappeared didn't I?'

Haruhi tried to smile, 'yeah, I don't think I could have managed another day alone,' she closed her eyes, 'I'm so tired.'

Huni held her while she slept, cradling her like a child. She thought she was being weak yet he saw how strong she was, no matter how many times life tried to know her down she kept going. He nuzzled his cheek in her soft hair, almost as short as the day he met her.

'Rai may not have his real papa but that doesn't mean he can never have one,'

Two years later

Huni and Mori sat side by side on uncomfortable hospital chairs with the other hosts randomly dotted around the waiting room while the three-year-old Rai sat on the floor, quietly playing with his stuffed cat.

'Ne ne,' the little boy looked up with wide brown eyes, 'how long is Mama going to be away Papa?'

Huni smiled, letting the child clamber into his lap, 'I don't know, it should be too long.'

'Will I get to see Baby-chan and Mama?'

'Hai,'

'I'm going to look after my baby sister and teacher her everything, don't you think so Papa?' Rai beamed at him.

'Hai,' Huni smiled, Mori patted Rai's head, 'you're going to be the best big brother ever.'

A short and sweet thingy that was going to be part of my drabble collection but I keep writing too long ones -.- It's still short overall though, I hope it's ok!